


a promise in the rain

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 23:04:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3913999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caitlin leaves Joe's house in tears. He goes after her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a promise in the rain

**Author's Note:**

> For the one million words rainy days and Mondays challenge. Prompt : a kiss in the rain

Caitlin fumbles in her purse for her car keys, barely able to see where she's going because of the tears in her eyes and the rain falling just as heavily. Pathetic fallacy, she thinks, a long forgotten phrase of high school English coming back to her and she shakes her head which only makes droplets of rain run into her eyes. "Pathetic, all right," she mutters to herself, still scrabbling in her purse and she's so caught up in her own misery that she actually shrieks when a hand lands on her shoulder. 

"Relax, it's just me." She doesn't look around at the sound of Joe's voice, presses her lips together and reminds herself that next time she has to leave someplace in a hurry, she'll have her keys ready. Or maybe just keep them at the top of her purse, that could be a good plan. As she's thinking this, Joe's other hand curls on her other shoulder and he turns her to face him. "You can't leave like this," he tells her and she laughs without humour, looking up to the sky. 

"Well, I can't stay." She waves her hand in the direction of the house. "Iris made it pretty clear that she doesn't want me here."

Joe's lips press into a thin line and his nostils flare. "It's my house," he says firmly. He looks in that direction briefly, then back to her. "And I want you."

That phrase has a dozen different connotations and he means every one of them; Caitlin can tell that from his eyes, from his voice. That knowledge has fresh tears filling her eyes and Joe's shoulders slump at the sight. His hands move from her shoulders to her cheeks and, cupping her face in his hands, he brings his lips to hers, kisses her deeply, passionately, leaving her in no doubt as to his feelings. 

When he pulls away, he looks up at the sky, then back to her. "At least come up onto the porch," he says and she nods at the compromise. 

He takes her hand as they walk, and once they're standing on the porch, he takes both her hands in his. His voice is low, serious when he says, "You don't have to go."

Caitlin shakes her head as she touches his cheek. "You heard what Iris said," she whispers. "She was so angry-"

"Caitlin, we knew she would be." Joe's hand tightens on hers. "She'll come around."

If the grimace on his face is anything to go by, he's as unsure of that as she is. Which is the whole problem. "What if she doesn't?" she asks. "What if you have to choose between us?" She shrugs, tries to smile bravely. "Because I know how that would end, Joe..." Another shrug. "I've lost someone I loved once... and if I'm going to get my heart broken, I'd rather save myself some time, you know?"

Her name is a breath on his lips as he pulls her into his arms and she tries to resist, she does, but the fact is that Joe West gives the best hugs in the world and she could really use one right now. So she lets herself fall, even though she knows that it might be a bad idea, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. One of his hands settles on her back, the other moving over her hair and she feels as well as hears him sigh. "I've lost people too," he murmurs, tightening his grip on her. "I don't want to lose anyone else... but, Caitlin..." Another sigh and he's moving her back, looking down at her and what she sees in those brown eyes has her heart hammering in her chest. "Caitlin, I'm not losing you. I can't."

A sob, deep and wracking, escapes from somewhere deep within her chest and she's falling against him again, letting him hold her up. "We'll get through this," she hears him say. "Together."

As the rain echoes against the porch roof, she lets herself entertain the possibility that they just might. 


End file.
